Elmer E. Youngs
Elmer Youngs was born in Lafayette County, Missouri, on January 16,1869. He was the son of Joseph L. Youngs, and Lavina Stahl Youngs. Mr. Youngs was educated in Lafayette, and attended Lafayette College in Higginsville, Missouri, and Spalding Commercial College in Kansas City, Missouri, from which he graduated in 1889.
On March 10,1889-97 he farmed in Missouri, and from 1897-1906, he ranched in Philips County. In 1906, as a rancher in Dawson County, he purchased 320 acres, which he later increased to 800 acres of valley land. At that time, he bred and fed Hereford cattle, and was one of the largest cattle feeders in Nebraska.
For 23 consecutive years, Elmer Youngs showed bulls at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, where he won Grand Champion for carloads of bulls and also for yearlings. For 11 years, he won from 1st to 4th in the open class for bulls at the Stock Show and for 14 years he was 1st in all Nebraska bull exhibits.
In December of 1938, Youngs sold his home farm of 480 acres, and in 1940 still owned 320 acres under pump irrigation which he leased out.
He was a member of the Governors of U.S. Livestock Breeders Assn., the Farm Bureau for 10 years and President of Dawson County Farm Bureau, also served for 2 years as President of State Farm Bureau. He was interested in civic and political affairs, but was never a candidate for an office. On his land he planted 40,000 forest trees, and in 1940, 95% were still growing. His hobbies were growing trees and Hereford cattle.